Feed device for water-softeners.



OTTO BEST, F SAN FRANCISCO, CALIFORNA.

. FEED DIEVICE FOB WATER-SOFTENERS.

Application filed November 5, 1917. Serial No. 200,418.

" To all whom it may concern:

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nitude of the i Referring to .the

Be it known that i, OTTO BEST, a citizen of the United States, residingat San Frailciso, in the eoiinty of San Francisco and State ofCalifornia, have invented new and useful improve `ents in Feed Devicesfor Tater-Softener@ of which the following is a specification.

rlhis invention relates to apparatus for softening Water by the additionof chemical reagents, and the object of the present in# ventien is toprovide a device for feeding a either in solution, as soda as lime, orboth, to a continuously tlowing stream of hard water in the exactproportion necessary, will be very sensitive to variations in magstreaniof hard water within a wide range of ynriations. Y

ln the accompanying drawing the ligure is a vertical section, partsbeing shown in side'elevation, of a softening apparatus 1n which myimproved feed device is employed.

chemical reagent drawing, 1 indicates a pipe for supplying hard water,and 2 indicates a tank for containing the chemical reagent for softeningthe water. The pipe 1 discharges into a water-distributing vessel 3,`from which the waterliows through a bypass pipe 4 into a centralsection 5 or a softening or reacting chamber 6. The pi e 4f iscontrolled by a valve 7 by which t e rate of the4 flow of the Water canbe varied as desired. The hard water also flows Jfrom the vessel 3through a pipe 8 dischar ing into a vessel 9, suspended, as shown a 10,from an arm 11 of a balance lever 12, pivoted at 13 on a bracket 14depending from the bottom of the vessel 3. From another arm 15 of 'thidlever 12 depends aiV the arm 15 so thatweight 16 adjustable on vessel 9,when the it exactly balances the latter is empty, and other artsattached to the arm 11, as will herea er be described. The vessel 9 hasa hole 1f? in its bottom th'rough which the water escapes and falls intothe central `section 5 of the softening chamber 6. But when wateris'in'ther vessel 9, said lvessel is depressed by the'iiveight ofthewater therein. The lower end of the pipe 8 is so arranged that the Waterdischarges therefrom in a lateral direction 1n 'order to prevent theimpact of the water romcausing ythe depression of the vessel 9 and touse only the weight ot the water to cause the depression of said whichvessel. A depending ai'm 20, rigidly attached to the balance lever nearits fulcruin, hangs verti cally when the vessel is empty, and carries aweight 2l which always tends to restore the balance lever toits normalposition in which the arins 11 yand 15 extend horizontally. l

From the outer end of the arm 11 is pivotally suspended a cap 22 intowhich is screwed the upper end of a pipe or conduit 23,' open at top andbottom, and depending into a vesse 2 tank 2, the pipe 23 passing looselythrough a hole 25 in the bottom of said vessel 24. The lower end of saidpipe enters loosely the top of a stationary curved pipe 26 eX: tendingthrough a side wall of said tank 2, the upper portion of said pipe 26being within the tank 2 and the lower portion outside said tank, anddischarging into the ccntral section 5 of the softening clian'ib'er. Ahood 27 secured around the pipe 23 extends over the open upper end ofthe pipe 26. A pipe 28 leads from a lower portion o the tank 2 to a pump29, from which pump a pipe 30 leads upwardly and discharges into the topof the vessel 24, so that the vessel is always maintained full of liquidcontainin the reagent, part of the excess of the liqui flowing ov r thetop edge, of the vessel 24 and returning to the tank 2, of escapingthrough the hole 25 around the pipe 23. and falling upon the hood l27and flowing down said hood into thetank- 2. Compressed air is suppliedby a .pipe 31,' leading either from an air pump or from a source ofsupply of compressed air, the latter being here shown at 32, anddischarges into the lowest portion ofthe tank 2, the object being toagitato 'the reagent in said tank by means of the'bubbles of air risingtherethrough. An orifice 33 is formed in just about the top of thevessel 24, and thereand part there- Specification of Letters Patent.Patented Aug. 20, ll.

4, supported upon the fore above the li uid therein, but when the C arm11 extends ownwaruly, then the orice 33 in the pipe descends into thevessel 24 and liquid containing the reagent flows from the vessel 241through said orifice 33 into said pipe` 26 .and then into the section 5of the softening chamber. The softening reagent may be in solutin in thewater orin suspension therein, and it is in order'to in.-

sure that such softening agent is uniformly distributed irthe Water inthe tank 2 and vessel 24 that it maintained in circulation hy the pump29 and is agitated by the air escaping` from the pipe 31.

The pipe el: Vis a ley-pass pipe which is used in case larger quantitiesof Water are to he softened or nieasured than the standard apparatusprovides for. .lli the passage through the pipe 4lis the saine size thepassage through the pipe 8, the capacity of feed device for vwaterwouldbe twice as large, one half of which is measured, the other halt'heii'ig; bypassed direct through the softeningk chamber. iirnyA desiredamount can be measured by lay-passing more er less.

The water in which the softening reagent is uniformly distributed, flowsdownwardly through the central section of the softeniiugv chamber andthen upwardly in an annular outer section 34 of said chamber and out bya pipe 35.

A pipe 256 provided with a valve 257 can also be used to draw olia thesludge 'from the sottening chamber when desired.

Supported upon the vessel 24, or in any other suitable manner, is acircular arm Ll0 having thereon two indicating scales 38, 39, the upper38 indicating the rate of flow of water, and the lower 39 indicating therate of How olf the reagent, and extending from the arm ll. are upperand, lower pointers el,

42, adapted to inove respectively over said scales to indicate saidlioiv.

l claim zl l. In means for automatically feeding a reagent to a streamof liquid, the combina*- tion of distributing tank for the liquid,having` a discharge hole in its bottoni, a balance lever, a vesselsupported upon one arin ot' said balance lever, into which the liquiddischarged through said hole enters, a reacting` chamber, said vesselhaving' a hole .in its bottom through which the liquid flows into thereactingl chamber, a vessel for Contaii'iing` the rlagent havin` a holein its bottoni, means for inaintaining constant the level oi.2 thereagent in said vessel, a vertically movable pipe for discharging theagent through said hole having an inlet for the reagent, and suspendedfrom said arm of said balancing lever, and a Weight suspended fromanother arin of said hah :.nieing` lever and c iiiiil1erlnrlaiicing theweights of the vessel, when empty, and of the pipe.

2. ln means for automatically teedinp a reagent to a stream of liquid,the combination ot a distributing tank for the liquid, having' adischarge hole in its bottoni, u balance lever, a vessel, supported uponone arm of said balance lever, into 'which the liquid, dischargedthrough said hole, enters,

a reacting chamber, vessel having a hole, through which the liquid Howsinto the vdischaiwed throueh said hole enters a I3 tu l reacting velamber, a i

for i etant 'the u, ,l et' t ie rea ri. s '/Lv a pipe, movablevertically throiu i i the bottoni of said vessel, sah an inlet for thereagent and beim from id aiin of said balanc hood or root en a inverpart o. a lower pipe, into which u' covered by said hood, a -fromanother arm of said and counterhalancing the iv sel, Vwhen empty, and oftu into which the reagent llova ttor toni and the upper edge of thevesDe taining` it, a, pumping device, i neeted, to dran' th .re nt namedtai-ill; and supply it to ti i ves-:sel can taining: the reagent, and apipe the end oit which discharges into titl .:liamher and into the upperend W. first-named pipe discharee: ad n agilating the reagent in tl .lltcont.. the saine.

3. '.ln n'ieans for automatical reagent to a stream oi: liquid. tion et'a distributing` tanlr` ,d id, having' a discharge hole in' its bottoni.,a balance lever, a vessel supported upon one hole in its bottom throughwhich the liquid flows into the reacting chainher, a. vessel forcontaining; the reagent, a pipe movable ver Mul tieally through a holein the hottoni ol? said. vessel, said pipe having an inlet for thereagent, and being suspended from said ot said balancing lever, a Weightsuspended troni another arm of said balancing ,lever and,counterbalancing the 'weights olif the. vessel, when empty, and of thepipe t into which the reagent lio frein toni and upper edge of thevessel cont. ing it, a pump suitably connected 'to the reagent lroin thelast-named and supplyV it to the 'vessel contai .ing agent/and a pipethe lo t l r end or vvhaoi discharges into said reacting chaniher andinto the upper end of which 'the first-named ance lever, a vesselsupported upon arm oit' said balance lever, into which the. honi actingchamber, said vessel having a in its bottoni through. which the hundfio,- s into the reactingv chamber, a vessel for containing 'thereagent, a pipe movable verti cally through a hole in the bottom seid`cssel, said pipe having; an orifice 'in e a i 'i i' s siei i i ir .wiri n. tot! sid nd heiiJ sir ided E om erw?, f, fr u Said balancing lever,a weight suspended from another arm of said balancing lever andcounterbalaneing the Weights of the vessel, when empty, and of the pipe,a tank into which the reagent flows from the bottom and upper edge ofthe. vessel Containing it, a pump suitably connected to draw the reagentfrom the last-named tank and supply it to the vessel containing the reagent, a pipe the lower end of which (lis charges into said reactingchamber and into the upper end of which the inst-named pipe discharges,and means for agitating the reagent in the tank containing the same.

OTTO BEST.

